Semi-stupid Tuesday questions, Mrs. Whatsit edition
“Peace be with you.”
Those were the only words I spoke to the frail-looking old woman in a wheelchair. It was during an evening service at a cathedral on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, an observance known as “passing the peace” during which those in attendance circulate and wish each other God’s peace. I had spied the woman nearby, and somehow I had an inkling about her. I knew that the person I thought she was had an association with the place. Later on, I heard someone call her by name, and I knew I’d been right.
It was Madeleine L’Engle.
Touching the hand of an author whose works I’d loved so much as a child (and look forward to reading to my own children) is one of those cherished magical memories that made my time in New York so wonderful. While I love the place I live now, there is a unique wonder to the Big Apple that I miss.
But back to Madeleine L’Engle. “A Wrinkle in Time” is rightly hailed as a classic of children’s literature. Its combination of science fiction, fantasy and spirituality struck me the first time I read it, and its story and imagery are masterful. If there is a more chilling vision of nightmarish conformity than Camazotz, I can’t think of it.
Sometime in my younger adulthood, I chose to read it again. As I happily turned the pages, I noted that Charles Wallace (one of the central characters) is fond of liverwurst and cream cheese sandwiches. I had never had such a sandwich myself, but I thought it sounded delicious. Shortly thereafter, I found myself in a deli and happily ordered my first such sandwich. I was right, it was delicious. It’s become a favorite of mine, though I’m picky about how thinly-sliced the liverwurst needs to be.
The magic of Mrs. Which and an enjoyable lunch idea, all from one delightful book.
So that’s this week’s Question (to which I have a related idea for next week) — are there any foods you’ve discovered through art or entertainment? Did you watch “Tampopo” (you should watch “Tampopo”) and seek out real ramen? Is there some meal you’ve learned about or tried because of a book or television show or some such? (Please note: If your answer comes from “Hannibal,” you missed your chance.)
I would basically like to eat everything cooked in Big Night and Eat Drink Man Woman especially the Timballo from Big Night. I’ve never seen it offered anywhere though:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TimballoReport
Tampopo is a great movieReport
I met Madeleine L’Engle, briefly, in the 1980s, when she spoke at my college and had a sit down with our creative writing club. Literally the only thing I remember other than her face was how wonderfully nice and gracious she was.
Now for my moment of shameful confession. I tried milk-and-Pepsi because I heard it on Laverne and Shirley. I was sure it would be atrocious, but I wanted to see just how atrocious. I loved it, and I still drink it upon occasion.Report
It is contrary to the non-judgmental nature of STQs for me to comment on how revolting that combination sounds to me.Report
It does, doesn’t it? But Ro you like root beer floats? The realization I came to is that milk and pepsi is just another dairy/soda combination. (We rarely had root beer in the house when I was growing up, but we had an endless supply of Pepsi, with no limits on our imbibing–shudder–so I more frequently had Pepsi floatshan root beer ones, and PepsiMilk isn’t that different, although not as good.)Report
How does the base nature of milk interact with the fizzy acidicity of Pepsi? Have you ever used coke instead of pepsi?Report
Milk neutralizes the fizziness, making the drink flatter than Pepsi alone. You control the amount of “sparkle” by the ratio of milk to Pepsi. If it feels too flat for your taste, reduce the milk/Pepsi ratio (less milk, more pop).
I don’t remember if I’ve had it with Coke. I don’t really like the taste of Coke as well, so I very rarely drink it. But it’s similar enough to Pepsi that it ought to work; just a matter of taste. In fact I actually prefer to use root beer. I suppose someone with truly perverse tastes might even like Dr. Pepper (in fact surely milk could only improve that foul brew).Report
Would it surprise you that I like Dr. Pepper and Coke over Pepsi?Report
“No,” he said, shaking his head sadly, “not at all.”Report
I prefer regular coke over regular pepsi but think that diet pepsi is superior to diet coke.Report
My wife is a coke person, while I’m a pepsi person. But we overcome those obstacles and make our relationship work anyway.Report
Lee,
yes, most people hate new coke.Report
I put cream in soda because I thought that’s what cream soda was. Turns out it’s not, but it damn well should be.Report
-Mitch HedbergReport
It’s called an “Italian soda” then and I love it. Non-dairy creamers work better than cow’s milk, IMO, and I like the cream with a fruit flavor best. Plus, with that SodaStream device, I can make liters of the stuff.Report
I was in my early-30s when I read Iris Murdoch’s The Sea The Sea. At that point in my life, all of my cooking was purposefully complex: curries, thai dishes that required making pastes prior to cooking, sauces that features a dozen or more ingredients. I somehow equated “complex” with “good.”
The opening scene of The Sea The Sea describes at great length the protagonist making lunch of a fresh sliced tomato and olive oil. Murdoch lovingly describes the joy of eating very simple dishes made from high quality ingredients. If someone had told me then I should try just eating a sliced tomato with olive oil I would have ignored them. But the writing was so compelling I went out that day and bought high end olive oil and a heirloom tomato; and with a little kosher salt and light pepper Imade myself a really delicious lunch.
I enjoy doing complicated as well as simple in the kitchen, but that one passage for The Sea The Sea changed he way I look at cooking.Report
Hannibal has given me a hankering for fancy food (minus the human-meat, of course!) despite the fact that I am the sort of person that relished eating some scrapple today, and had Spam last week.Report
Ugh. I might actually prefer the humans to the Spam.Report
Spam is $3/lb. Humans probably cost more.
I hate you coastal elitists! 🙂Report
Humans are free, you can even hunt them without a license!
At least, I haven’t figured out where to get one yet.Report
I grew up eating something, usually for breakfast, that we called “liver sausage”. Mom made it from scratch with pork roast, oatmeal, and liver (I assume anyway) and… I’m not sure what else. It would all get ground up together, cooked, and poured into bread pans to make a loaf. The stuff would set (maybe it had gelatin in it?), then you would eat it by frying up slices in a pan, put it on bread and sprinkle a bit of allspice on top.
It wasn’t until many years later that I figured out that was a variation on what others called scrapple. And it wasn’t until I moved to Connecticut that I actually found it in a grocery as Pennsylvania Dutch Scrapple. My wife wouldn’t touch it. It was made with cornmeal instead of oatmeal and she thought the color was revolting. More for me! 😉Report
Wait, so Scrapple has liver in it? That explains a few things.Report
I made a diced-Spam omelette once. It did not need salt.Report
Fried green tomatoes – I eat so many of these right after the first frost, when we’ve just picked all the tomatoes in a rush without regard to ripeness. Delicious!Report
Mmm… fried green tomatoes. Also fried pickles, though they’re not from entertainment, just from deliciousness.Report
Don’t finger the liverwurst either.Report
The one that intrigues me is the beer milkshake from Cannery Row. Never tried it, though.Report
There’s a local chain of funky breweries/hotels here in Oregon called McMenniman’s. They serve a thing called a Terminator Shake made with stout. It’s awesome.Report
I think there is a Hamburger place on Market near the freeway entrance that has beer milkshakes. Tiny place, very old school.Report
The Guinness milkshake is one that I have tried. It ain’t bad.Report
There is a place in Williamsburg that makes boozy milkshakes called Dumont Burger. I can assure you that they are nothing special. Its just an ordinary milkshake with a some spirit or liquor in it.Report
Our local “burgers and boozy milkshakes” place makes a fine chocolate milkshake. (with coffee liquor, naturally).Report
By the way, which L’Engle books would anyone recommend other than A Wrinkle in Time? Its direct sequels are all really, really, preachy (specifically, Christian, preaching.)Report
I actually liked the one set in Noah’s time. “Many Waters”?Report
It wasn’t Jewish enough. ;).Report
It has been years (and years, and years) since I read any of her books, but I remember loving them as a kid. I liked A Ring of Endless Light, which is book 4 of the Austin Family chronicles. Somehow I have no memory of the other books in the series, but I am sure I read them.Report
I’d like to eat many of the meals described by Zola in the Belly of Paris.Report
Oh, and, from Steppenwolf – bread with mustard and salt.Report
I don’t remember that dish from the novel, but then, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve read it last.Report
It’s only mentioned in passing. I just must have been hungry when I read that bit, because I went and got some for myself right away, and discovered I liked it…Report
Some friends, Natasha, and I went to Santa Barbara one weekend to have fish and chips from a hole-in-the-wall place that our friends seen Guy Fieri shout to the camera about on “diners drive-ins and dives.” It was damn good fish and chips but no seating.
Not that I needed much of an excuse to take a day trip to Santa Barbara in the first place.Report
Just happened to notice the mention of liverwurst in this post. One of my favorite foods in the world though I have never had it with cream cheese. Growing up with a German grandmother it was a staple.Report